Ocean Drive, Miami

Ocean Drive, Miami (must see)

With more than 900 Art Deco, 1930s/50s-style buildings gathered in one place, including marvels of architecture like the Colony Hotel, a South Beach landmark built in 1939, Ocean Drive is an iconic place located in the heart of South Beach. A mere walk here is an irreplaceable Miami experience, and it's true not only for lovers of sleek lines standard in the Art Deco movement, but also for the average Joe craving to visit the scenic thoroughfare and get a sense of its history and culture.

While many of the local hotels, sidewalk cafes and restaurants are disgracefully expensive (how about a $65 margarita for size), this is still a perfect spot for weird people watching, taking photos and soaking up the nightlife atmosphere of Miami. This said, however, it doesn't mean that you won't be able to find a few affordable and relatively hidden gems along the way either.

Aside from a mix of restaurants, nightclubs, retailers, Art Deco hotels and galleries, there are more than 30 designer boutiques in Ocean Drive, including Guess, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kenneth Cole, making it the linchpin street in setting up fashion trends of the city. With a clothing store practically around every corner, Ocean Drive is rightfully regarded to be the “Capital of Cool” whose youthful outfits, like Zara, Uggs, Free People and H&M, appeal to a younger and not so younger crowd anxious to stay ahead of the curve.

Why You Should Visit:
If there's any street synonymous with South Beach – central to the story of Miami's evolution as an arts, fashion, cultural, celebrity and entertainment hub – it is Ocean Drive. Walking down this avenue is like passing through a time capsule, where the past and present of Miami intersect harmoniously.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Miami. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Ocean Drive on Map

Sight Name: Ocean Drive
Sight Location: Miami, USA (See walking tours in Miami)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Miami, Florida

Create Your Own Walk in Miami

Create Your Own Walk in Miami

Creating your own self-guided walk in Miami is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Miami South Beach Walking Tour

Miami South Beach Walking Tour

Visiting Miami you are very likely, at some point, to end up in South Beach. One of America's preeminent resorts known for its beaches and the glamorous scene around its happening nightspots and celebrity-chef eateries, this trendy and quirky neighborhood, nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, attracts the rich, famous, and youthful for almost a century, and is generally a fun place to be. Apart...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Miami Downtown Walking Tour

Miami Downtown Walking Tour

The coastal sunny city of Miami is a world-class destination for tourists, rich in sights and public venues. The city was off to a humble start on July 28, 1896 with a population of just over 300 people. Miami owes its existence to a woman and is the only major U.S. city founded by a female. Julia Tuttle, "the mother of Miami", was a local citrus grower who originally owned the land the...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Miami's Art Deco Architecture Tour

Miami's Art Deco Architecture Tour

The South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida has long been associated with Art Deco architecture, distinguished for its eye-catching bright pastels. Pops of color combined with the style’s notable geometric lines, sleek curves, chrome accents, window “eyebrows” and fountains abound in the area, but even more so in the historic Miami Beach Architectural District.

More popularly...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Little Havana Food Tour

Little Havana Food Tour

Often dubbed the “Capital of Latin America,” Miami could have been just another deep-South city in Florida if it wasn't for Cuban revolution of 1959 that sent waves of Cuban refugees to Miami swiftly transforming the city's central neighborhood, once known as Riverside, into Little Havana.

The strong Cuban influence here is felt primarily in an eclectic mix of traditional...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip


16 Uniquely Miami Things to Buy

16 Uniquely Miami Things to Buy

One of America's most iconic destinations, Miami, Florida is a magnet for tourists, both inland and foreign, who come here each year in their millions. Each one of them is determined to pick up something memorable to revive the experience time and time again, that is well worth it. If...